The Tea Revolution: Innovative Ways People are Using the Ancient Beverage

Whether you prefer it hot or chilled, green or black, there are a plethora of pretty cool and creative ways people are using tea these days. Check out some of the most innovative new tea products, cocktails, and tea-infused dishes available today.

Tea, which has been cultivated by people around the world over for centuries, is so much more than just a drink. There are a plethora of pretty cool and creative ways people are using tea these days. Check out some of the most innovative new tea products, cocktails, and tea-infused dishes available today. If you're searching for more healthy and refreshing beverage options, try one of these colorful, fruit-and-veggie-packed juices or smoothies.

More

view gallery

01of13

01Of13

01Of13

On-Tap Kombucha

On-Tap Kombucha

Many shops and cafés offer tea, but how many offer it on tap? At Verdant Tea in Minneapolis, MN, the kombucha tap has been a huge hit with customers since its launch in September 2013. Verdant generally offers one seasonal selection along with two always-popular flavors: Ginger Vesper (Mi Xiang Lan Dancong kombucha with fresh ginger juice, elderflower, and juniper) and Pink Robot (Wuyi Oolong Kombucha with Taiwanese pink guava).

Aside from the extremely cool kombucha tap, Verdant Tea offers an enormous selection of teas and some beautiful brewing accessories online and in store. If you're in Minneapolis, make sure to check out the tasting room's Tuesday night tea tastings and other special events, like Yoga + Tea and the Saturday Night Tea Lounge.

Beautifying Teas

Beautifying Teas

Tea forté's line of Skin-Smart® Teas all start with a green tea base. Green tea contains high amounts of antioxidants and compounds that are thought to improve skin structure and boost collagen production, although scientific studies are not conclusive. (For more on the chemistry of tea and its effects on the human body, check out The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.) The USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified teas are then blended with other natural ingredients — such as lychee, coconut, cucumber, apple, and mint — which add flavor and skin-boosting nutrients.

On-Tap Kombucha

Many shops and cafés offer tea, but how many offer it on tap? At Verdant Tea in Minneapolis, MN, the kombucha tap has been a huge hit with customers since its launch in September 2013. Verdant generally offers one seasonal selection along with two always-popular flavors: Ginger Vesper (Mi Xiang Lan Dancong kombucha with fresh ginger juice, elderflower, and juniper) and Pink Robot (Wuyi Oolong Kombucha with Taiwanese pink guava).

Aside from the extremely cool kombucha tap, Verdant Tea offers an enormous selection of teas and some beautiful brewing accessories online and in store. If you're in Minneapolis, make sure to check out the tasting room's Tuesday night tea tastings and other special events, like Yoga + Tea and the Saturday Night Tea Lounge.

Beautifying Teas

Tea forté's line of Skin-Smart® Teas all start with a green tea base. Green tea contains high amounts of antioxidants and compounds that are thought to improve skin structure and boost collagen production, although scientific studies are not conclusive. (For more on the chemistry of tea and its effects on the human body, check out The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.) The USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified teas are then blended with other natural ingredients — such as lychee, coconut, cucumber, apple, and mint — which add flavor and skin-boosting nutrients.

Pan-Roasted Teas

Tea forté offers a huge variety of teas online, but their Noir collection — a selection of pan-roasted and flavored black teas — is probably unlike anything you've tasted before. According to the company's website, they're created to please "even the coffee purist," and these teas certainly have a richness and toasted flavor that any coffee drinker would enjoy. Flavors in this collection include Blood Orange, Chocolate Rose, Caramel Nougat, Black Cherry, and Peach Brulée — and luckily (or so we think) the flavors are light enough that the drinker can experience the added fragrance and tasting notes without any extra sweeteners.

Cocktail Infusions

Though a cup of tea is lovely on its own, the minds behind Tea forté know that there are many more ways to enjoy your favorite beverage than simply drinking a hot mug of it on a chilly day. Their cocktail infusions are made for steeping directly in the spirit of your choice, and the creative flavor combinations — Lavender Citrus, Lemongrass Mint, and Silkroad Chai — are ideal for mixing or adding an unexpected twist to a cocktail.

Innovative Brewers

Teavana is essentially a haven for tea drinkers. Whether you're new to the beverage or a tea-lover of old, the shop (which now has stores across the country) can help you learn more about tea varieties and brewing techniques. One standout product is the Teavana Perfect Teamaker, which allows the user to simply throw loose-leaf tea and hot water into the chamber, steep to the desired strength, and then place the Teamaker over a mug — pressing the bottom of the brewer down onto the lip of the mug will instantly cause the tea to strain through a mesh filter and drain out, with no mess or bits of tea leaf falling through into the cup.

Tea-Infused Desserts

In the Arts District of Los Angeles, The Pie Hole is known for creating a true experience for its customers. The pastries on the menu range from sweet to savory, sometimes blurring the lines between the two, but each pie is made with care and a little creativity. Pie slices sell for about $5 to $7, while mini pocket pies sell for $3 to $6, depending on the variety. The Earl Grey Tea pie (pictured) is a creamy, custardy concoction infused with the flavor of classic Earl Grey tea that was originally conceived as an homage to the hit British show, Downton Abbey.

Well-Crafted Cocktails

Made with Bacardi 8-Year-Old Rum, a house-made rock and rye soda, hibiscus tea, and fresh lime juice, the Speakeasy Punch at Parker and Quinn — the restaurant housed within the Refinery Hotel — in New York City is a beautifully composed cocktail full of sweet, floral, tart, and rich notes.

Natural Energy Boosters

Touting itself as a natural way to get a boost of energy, Little Miracles beverages contain pure, healthy tea, ginseng, and fruits. The line of drinks is entirely free of artificial colors, flavorings, or sweeteners, and has already been popular in Europe for some time. Now available in the United States, Little Miracles comes in four blends: Green Tea and Pomegranate; White Tea and Cherry; Black Tea and Peach; and Lemongrass Tea, Orange Juice, and Ginger.

Cocktail Mixers

Owl's Brew makes tea blends especially created for mixing into your favorite cocktails. Their teas are brewed freshly in small batches, using natural ingredients like whole spices, fruits, and agave to add sweetness and additional flavor. Owl's Brew sells pretty basic concoctions — like English Breakfast tea flavored with a bit of citrus — as well as more complex creations, like the Coco-Lada (pictured), which combines both sweet and spicy notes with real coconut for a tasty, tropical treat.

Food Infusions

Teaism, a tea shop and restaurant with four locations in the Washington, DC, area, knows its teas very well. Offering a variety of different teas by the cup or for purchase online, Teaism also uses their wide selection of teas in its restaurants' menus. The ochazuke, a Japanese-style soup made with rice and green tea, is served with the diner's choice of shrimp, pickled plum, or salmon (pictured). The restaurants also serve other tea-centric dishes, like a tea-smoked salmon, which is available for breakfast (served alongside scrambled eggs made with jalapeño, ginger, and cilantro) or later in the day as part of the Handroll Bento Box.